 |
Ravindra Fernando | |
|---|---|
| Chairman of the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Sri Lanka |
| Alma mater | Ananda College, University of Colombo |
| Occupation | Professor of Forensic Medicine, Consultant Physician |
Ravindra Fernando is a Sri Lankan forensic pathologist, toxicologist, physician, author and academic. He is the current chairman of the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board of Sri Lanka. [1]
Fernando was educated at Ananda College Colombo and the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo where he was active in the Medical Students Union and the Buddhist Brotherhood. [2]
He joined the Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, as a lecturer soon after his internship and subsequently trained in the Department of Forensic Medicine, Guy's Hospital Medical School, University of London, on a Commonwealth Scholarship. He was trained in the Department of Neurology in the same hospital and in the Department of Pathology, King Edward VII Hospital, Windsor. He returned to the post of senior lecturer, subsequently promoted on academic merit to a personal chair and being appointed to the substantive chair succeeding Professor Nandadasa Kodagoda. He not only qualified as a pathologist by becoming a member of the Royal College of Pathologists but also qualified as a physician acquiring postgraduate qualifications in clinical medicine by membership of the Royal College of Physicians. He was appointed professor of forensic medicine and toxicology in Colombo in 1996.
He was instrumental in setting up the National Poisons Information Centre in the National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Colombo, in 1988 (the first in South East Asia) and was its head from its inception for 20 years. He was a member of the INTOX program of the International Programme of Chemical Safety (ILO-UNEP-WHO) to prepare a computerized database on poisons, since its inception in 1988. He is a member of the WHO expert group on "Vector Biology and Control." He is a Member of the senior advisory board to South Asian Clinical Tocicology Research Collaboration (SACTRC) (South Asian Clinical Toxicology Research Collaboration) [3] with Nimal Senanayake, Rezvi Sheriff and Janaka de Silva
He has been active in the field of human rights and served as director of the Centre for the Study of Human Rights. He was also appointed chairman of the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board and was a member of the Presidential Task Force on Child Abuse. He has worked as a consultant forensic pathologist, senior lecturer in the University of London and Glasgow. He was also a Home Office pathologist for England and Wales and a Crown Office pathologist for Scotland working in London Glasgow and Sheffield. He was regional secretary for Asia in the "World Federation of Associations of Clinical Toxicology and Poison in Control Centres" in 1990. He has been a member of United Nations and British forensic teams (investigating the Thai Airways crash in Nepal and war graves in Bosnia) He unsuccessfully contested the Panadura seat in the Sri Lankan parliamentary elections [4]
He has published papers in his own field and is the author of 12 books on subjects varying from pesticide poisoning to international relations, the best known works being A Murder in Ceylon: The Sathasivam Case, an account of the 57-day trial of this landmark case in the history of law and forensic medicine in Sri Lanka, and Sri Lanka LTTE and the British Parliament. In a review, Professor Rajiva Wijesinghe described the book and its impact as "a measured account that will help to defuse some tensions that arose when the debate first occurred and it was assumed that this was unwarranted interference by Britishers. After all, with Sri Lankan constituents, it is understandable that British MPs should want to debate the situation. The book will help to make clear the relatively balanced discussion, whilst highlighting areas in which there were misconceptions that must be cleared".[ citation needed ]
He is the recipient of numerous awards including the Lion's (Most Outstanding Citizen's Award for Medicine and Health Care), Sri Lanka Jaycees ("Outstanding Young Persons Award for Social Medicine")and a Presidential award in recognition of his services. He was the President of The Ceylon College of Physicians in 1997 [5] and President of The Sri Lanka Medical Association in 2004. [6] He received the Award of Excellence "For the efforts in prevention of drug abuse and support to NGOs in Sri Lanka," at the 20th International Federation of Non-Governmental Organisations for the Prevention of Drugs and Substance Abuse (IFNGO) held in Colombo.
Established in 1870 as the Colombo Medical School, the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Colombo, is the second oldest medical school in South Asia. It is considered to be the top most medical faculty in the country which requires the highest entry qualification in GCE Advanced Level examination.
The South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM) is a privately owned educational institution providing higher education in Sri Lanka. It is recognised as a degree awarding institute under section 25A of the Universities Act No. 16 of 1978. In 2018, the parliament of Sri Lanka passed a special provisions act to abolish SAITM Medical faculty and to transfer the students to General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University.
Devaka Fernando is a Sri Lankan physician and academic. He was president of the Osteoporosis Society of Sri Lanka and the Founding Professor of Medicine at the University of Sri Jayawardanapura.
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Professor Nimal Senanayake is a Sri Lankan neurologist, physician, author, film and television scriptwriter and academic.
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Panagodage Bertram Fernando LMS (Ceylon) MBBS (London), MD FRCP DTM&H OBE is First Professor of Medicine Ceylon Medical College and Faculty of Medicine University of Colombo. Fernando was educated like Marcus Fernando at St. Benedict's College, Colombo. He was awarded a Government scholarship to the Ceylon Medical College in 1918 and qualified with L.M.S. (Ceylon) in 1923. In 1930 he attended University College Hospital, London, M.B. B.S. (1931) and obtaining MRCP in 1932 and the diploma in tropical medicine and hygiene. He was awarded an M.D. in 1951, and elected F.R.C.P. in 1952, the first Ceylonese to be awarded that distinction.
Upendra Srinath Jayawickrama (FRCP), is a Sri Lankan physician (endocrinologist) and an artist. He was the founder of the Diabetes Association of Sri Lanka and a professor of pharmacology at the North Colombo Medical College.
Dr Bothalage Desmond James Stanley Fernando (1930–2012) was a Sri Lankan doctor and inventor, best known for his services to General Practice in the country.
The University of Florida's (UF) online clinical toxicology distance education programs cater to working professionals, including physicians, nurses, physician assistants, first responders, and poison control center professionals. The programs focus on toxicants, drugs of abuse, drug analysis, and biotransformation, as well as the treatment of poisoned or overdosed patients. Classes are taught by internationally recognized faculty with expertise in clinical toxicology, medicine, pharmacy, and pharmacology.
Shanthilal Devapriya Jayaratne MBBS, MD Post Graduate Institute of Medicine, Colombo, FRCP, FCCP was a professor of medicine at University of Sri Jayewardenepura and was Chairman of State Pharmaceuticals Corporation of Sri Lanka (SPC) and State Pharmaceuticals Manufacturing Corporation (SPMC). Jayaratne is the chairman of National Medicines Regulatory Authority, and former chairman of Sri Jayawardenepura General Hospital.
Dr Warusahennadige David Lionel Fernando was a Forensic pathologist and Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) for Colombo.
Vidya Jyothi Senior Professor Arjuna Priyadarsin de Silva MBBS, MSc, MD, FRCP (Lon) is a Sri Lankan Academic and Consultant Gastroenterologist. He is the Head of the Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine University of Kelaniya and Chairman of the Sri Lanka Anti-Doping Agency (SLADA).
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